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{{Good article}}
{{Infobox Simpsons episode {{Infobox Simpsons episode
| image = No TV and no beer.jpeg
| episode_name = Treehouse of Horror V
| caption =
|image=]
| season = 6
| image_caption = Homer spoofs "Here's Johnny!" from '']''.
| episode_no = 109 | episode = 6
| prod_code = 2F03 | director = ]
| writer = '''The Shinning:'''<br />]<br />'''Time and Punishment:'''<br />]<br />]<br />'''Nightmare Cafeteria:'''<br />]
| airdate=October 30, 1994
| production = 2F03
|show runner=]
| airdate = {{Start date|1994|10|30}}
|writer=]<br>]<br>]<br>]
| guests = * ] as ]
|director=]
|couch_gag=Each member of the family enters with disfigured bodies.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml|title=Treehouse of Horror V|accessdate=2007-03-21|author=Martyn, Warren; Wood, Adrian |date=2000|publisher=BBC}}</ref> | couch_gag = The undead family members enter with disfigured bodies, and then swap heads and arms.<ref name="BBC">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031005010028/http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/simpsons/episodeguide/season6/page6.shtml|archive-date=2003-10-05|title=Treehouse of Horror V |access-date=2007-03-21 |author1=Martyn, Warren |author2=Wood, Adrian |year=2000 |publisher=BBC}}</ref>
| commentary = ]<br />]<br />David X. Cohen<br />Greg Daniels<br />Jim Reardon
| guest_star = ] as ]
| prev = ]
| commentary = ]<br>David Mirkin<br>David X. Cohen<br>Greg Daniels<br>Jim Reardon
| next = ]
| season =6
}} }}


"'''Treehouse of Horror V'''" is the sixth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ] and the fifth episode in the '']'' series. It premiered on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories called ''The Shinning'', ''Time and Punishment'', and ''Nightmare Cafeteria''. The episode was directed by ] and written by ], ], ] and ].<ref name="book">{{cite book|last=Richmond |first=Ray|coauthors=Antonia Coffman|title=] |year=1997 |publisher=Harper Collins Publishers|isbn=0-00-638898-1|pages=154, 155}}</ref> "'''Treehouse of Horror V'''" is the sixth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']'', and the fifth entry in the '']'' series. It originally aired on ] in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".


The episode was written by ], ], ] and ], and directed by ].<ref name="book">{{cite book |last=Groening |first=Matt |author-link=Matt Groening |editor1-first=Ray |editor1-last=Richmond |editor1-link=Ray Richmond |editor2-first=Antonia |editor2-last=Coffman |title=] |edition=1st |year=1997 |location=New York |publisher=] |lccn=98141857 |ol=433519M |oclc=37796735 |isbn=978-0-06-095252-5 |pages= |ref={{harvid|Richmond & Coffman|1997}} }}.</ref>
In ''The Shinning'' the Simpsons become caretakers at ] mansion. Deprived of television and beer, ] becomes insane and tries to murder the family; after finding a portable TV set, he returns to normal. In ''Time and Punishment'', Homer repeatedly travels back in time and alters the future; upon failing to restore the future, he settles for a reality close to his own. In ''Nightmare Cafeteria'', ] begins using students in detention as cafeteria food; when ] and ] are about to be slaughtered, Bart realizes it is a dream (but is then attacked by fog which turns people inside out).
In "The Shinning", a spoof of '']'', the Simpsons are hired as caretakers at ]' mountain lodge. Deprived of television and beer, ] goes insane and attempts to murder the family. In "Time and Punishment", a parody of ]'s "]", Homer repeatedly travels back in time and alters the future. In "Nightmare Cafeteria", ] begins using students in detention as cafeteria food. The episode has a running gag where ] tries to help but gets stabbed in the back with an ], killing him. This is the first ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode not to feature a ].

In response to longstanding complaints about excessive ] in the show, showrunner ] mandated that the episode contain as many disturbing and gory elements as possible. ] features as the voice of an alternate-timeline ]. The episode was critically acclaimed, with "The Shinning" segment receiving the most praise.


] deliberately placed more ] in the episode due to complaints about excessive violence in the show. The episode features ] as the voice of an alternate universe ] (his second appearance in a Simpsons Halloween episode), and a recurring joke where ] is stabbed in the back with an axe.
==Plot== ==Plot==
] warns that the episode is frightening and children should not watch it, but her message is hijacked by a radio transmission from ] who plays the episode anyway. But Homer makes funny noises and ruins the mood. The character Groundskeeper Willie is killed in all three segments. ] tells the audience that the episode is deemed so scary that ] will not allow its broadcast. ] and ] interrupt the transmission to show the episode.


===The Shinning=== ==="The Shinning"===
] go to Mr. Burns' mansion in the mountains to become its caretakers. Before he leaves, Mr. Burns cuts the cable television wire and removes the beer, believing that this will ensure hard work from the family. While there, ] discovers that Bart has the power to read his thoughts and that if Homer goes insane, he should use this to call him. The absence of his two favorite things sends Homer insane and a ghostly ] tells Homer he must kill his family in order for him to give Homer a beer. Marge later finds a typewriter, and sees the words 'Feelin' fine' typed upon them, but a lightning flash reveals that he has scrawled 'No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy' on all the walls. Homer then begins chasing the family with an axe and Bart uses his powers to call Willie, who runs to the family's rescue, dropping his pocket television in the snow, but Homer kills him by stabbing him in the back with the axe. Homer chases his family outside into the snow and just as he is about to strike them, Lisa picks up the portable television that Willie dropped and shows it to him. With access to television again, Homer's insanity gradually fades. The family sits in the snow to watch with him and eventually freeze. However, as the ]s begin, Bart tells Homer to change the channel but Homer reminds the family that they are frozen. As the family watch the Awards helplessly, Homer's insanity rises. ] are employed as caretakers at ]' mountain lodge while it is closed for the winter. ] discovers that Bart can read his mind, and tells him he has the "Shinning". Mr. Burns cuts off the lodge's cable TV and beer supplies to ensure hard work from the caretakers; this plan backfires, as the deprivation drives Homer insane (as ] said had happened with the previous caretakers). A phantom ] encourages Homer to "waste your family and I'll give you a beer". Marge finds Homer's manuscript, which reads "Feelin' fine"; lightning flashes, and she sees that Homer has scrawled "No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy" all over the walls. Homer attacks Marge and she fends him off; Homer faints in horror upon seeing his crazed reflection in a mirror. Marge locks Homer in the pantry. Homer is temporarily distracted by the plentiful food in the pantry, but Moe forcibly drags him out. Bart uses his "Shinning" to summon Willie, who drops his portable TV in the snow to come to the family's rescue. Homer kills Willie with an axe and continues his pursuit of the family. ] shows Homer Willie's TV, and Homer's insanity abates as the family watches TV. After they are frozen stiff, the ] ceremony begins airing on the TV, and Homer's murderous impulse comes back.


==="Time and Punishment"===
] and Sherman. In a later scene, as a side-effect to Homer's time-travelling, Kang and Kodos find their heads changed to those of the aforementioned duo.]]
Homer accidentally turns his broken toaster into a time machine after trying to repair it. After traveling to prehistoric times, Homer remembers his ]'s advice about the ] but unthinkingly swats a mosquito. He returns to a present where ] is the "unquestioned lord and master of the world"; after Homer gets the Simpsons sentenced to 're-Neducation' (a program which includes full-frontal lobotomies), he escapes and tries to fix his mistakes. Homer's failed attempts create a present where Bart and Lisa are giants, followed by one where the Simpsons are wealthy and ] have died, but no one knows what donuts are (ironically, as Homer runs off screaming, donuts fall from the sky like rain), and one where Willie tries to help Homer, but is stabbed in the back with an axe by a talking ], who intones "This is indeed a disturbing universe." On his final trip back, Homer destroys everything in sight with a baseball bat and causes a number of weird alternate universes before going home. He discovers from Marge that everything is back to normal plus "donuts are plentiful!" and sits down to dinner when he sees that Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have reptilian tongues. Homer accepts this timeline as "close enough".


===Time and Punishment=== ==="Nightmare Cafeteria"===
] and ] try to find a common solution to the problems of poor cafeteria food and an overcrowded detention hall. After ] trips Lunchlady Doris and gets food slop on him, Skinner realizes the solution: cannibalizing any child that is sent to detention. Jimbo is killed and made into "Sloppy Jimbos". The teachers all become addicted to the mix of food slop and human meat, compelling Skinner to kill Üter and turn him into "Üterbraten". Bart and Lisa realize this after Skinner unwittingly reveals the truth and try to tell Marge, who refuses to help them because she wants them to stand up for themselves. With the other students either dead or imprisoned for fattening up before slaughter, Willie tries to help Bart, Lisa, and ] escape, but Skinner stabs him in the back with an axe. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall off a ledge into a giant food processor. Bart wakes up in his bedroom and realizes he was having a ]. Marge assures him he has nothing to fear except the "fog that turns people inside out", which seeps in through the window and promptly turns the Simpson family inside out. The family, joined by Willie, perform a parody of "]" from '']'' as the credits roll and Santa's Little Helper drags Bart away.
While trying to fix a broken ], Homer accidentally turns it into a ]. It transports him to ] times where he realizes that if he affects anything in the past, he could cause changes in the future. He kills a ] before returning to the present and finds a horrific ] where ] is now a brutal world dictator. Homer travels back in time again to try to set things right. However, he accidentally kills a fish, and after returning to the present he finds Bart and Lisa are ]: he narrowly avoids being crushed by them. He then infects the dinosaurs with a ] while defending himself from a ], which proceeds to ]. He is initially pleased with the results in the present; Bart and Lisa are polite and well-behaved, the family is extremely wealthy and ] are dead. However, he is horrified to find that Marge does not know what a donut is. In another world, Willie tries to help Homer, but is once again hit in the back with an axe by a talking ]. After several more trips back and forth in time, Homer eventually arrives in a reality that appears normal. However, he finds that humans eat with ]-like tongues, but decides it is close enough.

===Nightmare Cafeteria===
] is worried that the ] is becoming overcrowded and ] is being forced to serve Grade F meat in the cafeteria. Skinner discovers a common solution to both problems: eating misbehaving children. The first such student is ] who is served as "]". ] is then sent to detention and made into a German meal called "]". Bart and Lisa figure out what the teachers are doing, but one by one, the kids are gradually eaten away. The kids try to get Marge to help, but she gives them advice, "look them straight in the eye, and say 'don't eat me'". Eventually Bart, Lisa and ] are the only students left and they decide to escape. Skinner and the other teachers corner them on a ledge above a giant operating blender. Willie tries to help the students, but is killed with an axe in the back by Skinner. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall to their dooms. Bart wakes up to find this was all a terrible dream. However, the Simpsons and Willie are turned inside out by a mysterious fog.


==Production== ==Production==
] tried to put "as much blood and guts" into the episode as he could. This was because Mirkin was angry about complaints by the ] about the amount of violence in the show and their attempting to ] it. He later called it "the most disturbing Halloween show ever". The opening sequence, in which Marge states the episode cannot be shown and plays some live action stock footage, was also in reaction to this. Mirkin said he believes Halloween shows can be "scary as well as fun".<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video | people=Mirkin, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Disappointed by complaints from ], regarding the amount of violence in the show and their subsequent ] attempts, showrunner ] attempted to put "as much blood and guts" into the episode as he could. He later called it "the most disturbing Halloween show ever". The opening sequence, in which Marge states the episode could not be shown and plays some live-action stock footage, was also in reference to this. Mirkin said he thinks Halloween shows can be "scary as well as fun".<ref name="Mirkin">{{cite video |people=Mirkin, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


This episode marks the end of the tradition of using humorous tombstones in the title sequence of Halloween episodes. This sequence contained a tombstone that reads "Amusing Tombstones", which was the writers' way of showing that they were tired of coming up with ideas for humorous tombstone messages. Similar sequences had been used as introductions in all four previous ''Treehouse of Horror'' episodes, but have not been used since this episode.<ref name="Cohen">{{cite video | people=Cohen, David|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> This episode marked the end of the tradition of featuring humorous tombstones in the title sequence of Halloween episodes. The title sequence featured a tombstone reading "Amusing Tombstones".<ref name="Cohen">{{cite video |people=Cohen, David |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The staff also abandoned the tradition of wraparound segments that were featured before each story in the preceding Halloween episodes, to allow more time for the main stories.<ref name="Weinstein7">{{cite video |people=Weinstein, Josh |date=2006 |title=The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror VII" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


The staff also decided against continuing the tradition of using wraparound segments that were used before each story in the previous ''Treehouse of Horror'' episodes, to make more time for the main stories.<ref name="Weinstein7">{{cite video | people=Weinstein, Josh |year=2006|title=The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror VII"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> The first segment, "The Shinning", is a parody of '']'' (1980). Filmmaker ] had been a big influence on Mirkin, and was "one of the main reason wanted to be a director".<ref name="Mirkin"/> Series creator ] admitted that he had not seen ''The Shining'' and most of the references to the film were entirely lost on him.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


]'s debut as a Simpsons writer. |alt=A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.]]
The first segment, ''The Shinning'', was inspired by the film '']'', and is basically a parody of that film. The film's director, ], had been a big influence on the writer, and was "one of the main reason wanted to be a director". Ironically, series creator ] admitted that he had not seen ''The Shining'' and most of the references to the film were entirely lost on him.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


Groening originally pitched the idea that Homer would travel through time in "Time and Punishment". His original idea was that the time-travel would be the result of Homer simply jamming his hand in the toaster, but this was rejected by the other writers.<ref name="Groening"/> The first time Homer travels back in time, he was originally supposed to state "I'm the first non-]al character to travel backwards through time".<ref name="Cohen"/> The line was later changed from "non-fictional" to "non-Brazilian". Groening was confused as to the reason for the change, since he liked the original so much. In fact, he did not even understand what the new line implied.<ref name="Groening"/> ] said the line is supposed to be a ]. In Brazil, the Portuguese dub changes the line to "I'm the first non-astronaut to travel backwards through time." In the sequence where the Simpsons' house transforms several times, one of the original designs included the house being made entirely of ]s. Layout artist ] worked on the drawings for more than two days, but were ultimately cut as the picture quality of ]s of the time would have made the image unrecognizable. To ensure their work did not go to waste, some staff members have used the drawings on Christmas cards and other studio-related notices.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video |people=Reardon, Jim |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>
]'s debut as a Simpsons writer.|alt=A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.]]


"Nightmare Cafeteria" was the first ''Simpsons'' story written by ].<ref name="Mirkin" /> He wrote the final scene where a nightmarish fog turns the family inside out, inspired by an episode of the radio show '']'' called "The Dark", which frightened Cohen as a child. A dance number was added immediately afterward in order to end the show on a lighter note. The "grade F meat" joke was written by Cohen, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of ]s labeled "grade C, approved for human consumption".<ref name="Mirkin" />
Matt Groening originally pitched the idea that Homer would travel through time in ''Time and Punishment''. His original idea was that the time-travel would be the result of Homer simply jamming his hand in the toaster, but the other writers rejected that.<ref name="Groening">{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Scenes where Homer is in the past were written so that he is there for the time it takes to toast a piece of bread. Mirkin gave ] a cameo appearances in this segment, which was due to the show '']'' being a major influence on ''The Simpsons''.


==Cultural references==
The first time Homer travels back in time, he was originally supposed to state "I'm the first non-]al character to travel backwards through time".<ref name="Cohen"/> The line was later changed from "non-fictional" to "non-Brazilian". Groening was confused as to the reason for the change, since he liked the original so much. In fact, he didn't even understand what the new line meant.<ref name="Groening"/>
Marge says the following program is so scary Congress won't let them show it, and they'll instead air the "1947 classic ] movie ''200 Miles to Oregon''." Homer and Bart's voice-over is a reference to the opening of '']''.<ref name="BBC"/>


"The Shinning" is a parody of ]'s novel '']'' and ]'s 1980 ]. The basic plot is the same and there are many references to specific scenes from the film, such as the ] coming out of the ] and Homer breaking through a door with an axe and yelling "Here's Johnny!".<ref name="BBC"/><ref name="book"/> After Marge puts Homer in the pantry, Moe and the ghouls, "concerned the project isn't moving forward", get him out. Among the ghouls are ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Burns mentions the lodge was "the setting of satanic rituals, witch burnings, and five ] Christmas specials."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Martin |first1=Clare |title=The 10 Best Treehouse of Horror Tales from The Simpsons |url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/the-simpsons/best-treehouse-of-horror-simpsons |access-date=May 7, 2023 |work=Paste |date=October 18, 2022 |archive-date=May 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230507190653/https://www.pastemagazine.com/comedy/the-simpsons/best-treehouse-of-horror-simpsons |url-status=live }}</ref>
In the scene where the Simpson's house changes into various different things, one of the original designs was the house made entirely of ]s. The layout artist who designed it worked on the drawings for more than two days, but ultimately it was cut. To make sure their work did not go to waste, some staff members have used the drawings on Christmas cards and other studio-related notices.<ref name="Reardon">{{cite video | people=Reardon, Jim|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref>


The title "Time and Punishment" is a reference to ]'s novel '']'' and the plot, where Homer causes major changes in the future by making small changes in the past, is a parody of ]'s short story "]".<ref name="Mirkin"/> ] of '']'' make an appearance during Homer's time traveling sequence and when, as a side effect of Homer's antics in the past, ]' heads are unexpectedly replaced with those of Peabody and Sherman.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The dinosaur scenes are reminiscent of '']'',<ref name="BBC"/> and the floor morphing into a television screen mirrors similar scenes in '']'' and '']''.<ref name="Mirkin"/>
In another deleted scene involving an alternate Simpsons future, the Simpsons had a teenage son named Roy.<ref name="Daniels">{{cite video | people=Daniels, Greg|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> Groening said that "somebody from outside the show" originally suggested the idea.<ref name="Groening"/> The joke was later used as a sub-plot for the episode "]", although Roy was a ] in that episode, rather than a son.<ref name="Cohen"/>


The title "Nightmare Cafeteria" is a riff on the television series '']'',<ref name="Cohen"/> while the plot bears resemblance to '']''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments|url=https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments|date=2014-10-28|access-date=2020-10-24|website=Entertainment Tonight|language=en-US|archive-date=2020-11-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101020827/https://www.etonline.com/tv/153187_12_truly_scary_simpsons_treehouse_of_horror_segments|url-status=live}}</ref> The closing song is a parody of "]" from the musical '']'',<ref name="BBC"/> while the concept of the family being turned inside out by a mysterious fog comes from an episode of the radio show '']'', "The Dark".<ref name="Cohen"/> "One" can briefly be heard at the end of "The Shinning", when an announcer introduces the ] on Willie's portable TV.
''Nightmare Cafeteria'' was the first Simpsons story to be written by ].<ref name="Mirkin"/> He wrote the final scene where a nightmarish fog turns the family "inside out". This was inspired by a thriller featured on the radio show '']'' called ''The Dark'', which scared Cohen as a child. A dance number was added immediately afterwards in order to end the show on a lighter note. He also cut two scenes from this segment feature Sherri and Terri being cooked as "]" steak with "]" sauce and Homer regaling Lisa about his dream of eating Milhouse. Nevertheless, a book from this scene was used in this segment. As a result of this scene being cut, Homer does not appear in the third segment, something Cohen believed to be unprecedented at the time.<ref name="Cohen"/> The "grade F meat" joke was written by Mirkin, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of ]s labeled "grade C, approved for human consumption".<ref name="Mirkin"/>


==Reception==
==Cultural references==
In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror V" finished 27th in ratings for the week of October 24–30, 1994, with a ] of 12.2, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following '']''.<ref>{{cite news |title=ABC on top, but moves help others |work=Sun-Sentinel |author=Williams, Scott |page=4E |date=November 3, 1994}}</ref>
The voice over in the pre-title sequence is a reference to '']''.<ref name="BBC"/> The first segment ''The Shinning'' is a parody of the ] novel '']'' and the ] ] of the same name. The basic plot of the segment is the same as the novel and there are also many references to specific moment from the film, such as the blood coming out of the elevator and Homer breaking though a door with an axe and yelling "Here's Johnny".<ref name="book"/><ref name="BBC"/>


Since airing, "Treehouse of Horror V" has received critical acclaim. The authors of ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon".<ref name="BBC"/> '']'' ranked this episode as the ninth best of the entire series: "The Shinning" was described as "a parody brimming with such detail comic timing" that it "ranks with the greatest of pop culture spoofs" and Grandpa's wedding advice to Homer in "Time and Punishment" was praised as "one of the most beautifully random moments in ''Simpsons'' history". They concluded that "Maybe 'Nightmare Cafeteria' doesn't shine as brilliantly, but we still think it's perfectly, well, '].'"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://ew.com/article/2003/02/02/best-simpsons-episodes-nos-6-10/ |title=The best ''Simpsons'' episodes, Nos. 6-10 |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2003-01-29 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |archive-date=2014-10-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141016170205/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_2,00.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It ranked fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list. The list stated that the episode "offers three completely different tales, boasting a potent combination of wit and humor" that, "the laughs never end", and that it "does a great job of incorporating Halloween-themed stories with the standard ''Simpsons'' charm".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://uk.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/64b_top_10_list.html |title=Top 10: Simpsons Episodes |access-date=2022-01-16 |author=Weir, Rich |publisher=Askmen.com |archive-date=2022-01-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182602/https://uk.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/64b_top_10_list.html |url-status=live }}</ref> '']'' called the episode "the funniest ''Treehouse of Horror'' to date".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/08/the-simpsons-20-seasons-20-episodes |title=The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |publisher=] |access-date=2022-01-16 |date=2010-01-08 |archive-date=2007-04-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070428021121/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p4.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2006, they also named it the best episode of the sixth season.<ref name="IGN"/> Adam Finley of the blog '']'' called it "possibly one of the best Halloween episodes ever".<ref name="TV Squad">{{cite web |url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/06/the-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-v/ |title=The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V |first=Adam |last=Finley |date=2006-07-06 |access-date=2008-03-07 |publisher=] |archive-date=2006-08-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823082158/http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/06/the-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-v/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Michael Passman of '']'' said the episode "is largely regarded as the best, but a weak final third holds it back".<ref name="Michigan Daily">{{cite web|url=https://www.michigandaily.com/uncategorized/michael-passman-simpsons-halloween-hall-fame/ |title=Michael Passman: A 'Simpsons' Halloween hall of fame |first=Michael |last=Passman |date=2006-10-30 |access-date=2022-01-16 |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080324031816/http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/10/30/Television/Michael.Passman.A.simpsons.Halloween.Hall.Of.Fame-3064979.shtml |archive-date=2008-03-24 }}</ref> ] named it among the 10 greatest ''Simpsons'' episodes of all time.<ref name="EntIe">{{cite web |url=https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/ |title=The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time |author=Molumby, Deidre |publisher=] |date=September 6, 2019 |access-date=September 7, 2019 |archive-date=July 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240712040830/https://entertainment.ie/tv/tv-news/10-greatest-the-simpsons-episodes-of-all-time-418495/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ] called it the best episode of the sixth season and the greatest Halloween episode of ''The Simpsons''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-best-episodes-ranked/|title=The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked|last=Sim|first=Bernardo|date=2019-09-22|website=Screen Rant|language=en-US|access-date=2019-09-22|archive-date=2019-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924031718/https://screenrant.com/the-simpsons-best-episodes-ranked/|url-status=live}}</ref> '']'' called it "a true benchmark of the series," ranking it the second greatest ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode of all time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2019/10/ranking-treehouse-of-horror/|title=Ranking: Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode from Worst to Best|last=Ruskin|first=Zack|date=2019-10-23|website=Consequence|access-date=2022-01-16|archive-date=2022-01-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220118182832/https://consequence.net/2019/10/ranking-treehouse-of-horror/|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2019, '']'' ranked the episode third in its list of 10 best ''Simpsons'' episodes picked by ''Simpsons'' experts.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Raisa |last=Bruner |title=We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time |magazine=] |date=2019-12-10 |url=https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/ |access-date=2019-12-11 |archive-date=2019-12-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212095407/https://time.com/5743465/best-simpsons-episodes/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
The plot of the second segment ''Time and Punishment'', where Homer causes major changes in the future by killing animals in the past, is a parody of the ] short story '']''.<ref name="Mirkin"/> ] from the animated series '']'', make an appearance during Homer's time traveling sequence.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The dinosaur scenes are reminiscent of '']'',<ref name="BBC"/> and the floor morphing into a television screen is a reference to similar scenes in both '']'' and '']''.<ref name="Mirkin"/> The title of the third segment ''Nightmare Cafeteria'', is a reference to the television series '']''.<ref name="Cohen"/> The song sung over the end credits is based on the song "One" from the musical '']''.<ref name="BBC"/>


"The Shinning" is particularly highly praised. ''IGN'' voted it first on their list of the best segments in the Treehouse of Horror series, with "Time and Punishment" coming fourth.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/11/05/the-simpsons-best-treehouse-of-horror-segments |title=The Simpsons' Best Treehouse of Horror Segments |date=2006-10-30 |access-date=2022-01-16 |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Iverson, Dan |author3=Zoromski, Brian |work=IGN |archive-date=2009-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024181101/http://tv.ign.com/articles/742/742680p3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> It came ninth on the blog Noise to Signal's list of "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://noisetosignal.org/tv/2007/10/the-ten-best-treehouse-of-horror-vignettes.php.html |title=The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes |first=Seb |last=Patrick |date=2007-10-31 |access-date=2016-09-13 |publisher=Noise to Signal |archive-date=2016-01-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101135247/http://noisetosignal.org/tv/2007/10/the-ten-best-treehouse-of-horror-vignettes.php.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> Adam Finley of ''TV Squad'' opined that it "could be the best Treehouse of Horror segment ever" and praised the opening of "Time and Punishment."<ref name="TV Squad"/> When putting together the perfect ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode, Passman of ''Michigan Daily'' included ''The Shinning'' as "a shoo-in".<ref name="Michigan Daily"/> '']'' named "No TV And No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy" the sixth-best film parody in the show's history.<ref>Colin Kennedy. "The Ten Best Movie Gags In ''The Simpsons''", '']'', September 2004, pp. 77</ref> ] named "The Shinning" the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, stating, "When you can’t think of the original without also thinking of the spoof. That’s ''The Shining'' and 'The Shinning,' easily the best Treehouse segment of all time."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2011/10/ranking-every-treehouse-of-horror-segment-from-worst-to-first.html|title=Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Segment, Ranked|last=Kurp|first=Joshua|date=2019-10-21|website=Vulture|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-24|archive-date=2021-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505131945/https://www.vulture.com/2011/10/ranking-every-treehouse-of-horror-segment-from-worst-to-first.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Reception and legacy==
The episode is often considered one of the best Simpsons Halloween episodes ever. It finished ninth on a list by the magazine '']'' of its top 25 ''Simpsons'' episodes. In it, ''The Shinning'' segment was described as "a parody with such detail comic timing" and that it "ranks with the great spoofs of all time", and the ''Time and Punishment'' segment as "one of the most beautifully random moments in '' Simpsons'' history", but also said that the ''Nightmare Cafeteria'' segment "doesn't shine as brilliantly".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,417748_2,00.html|title=The Family Dynamic|accessdate=2007-03-03|date=]|publisher=Entertainment Weekly}}</ref> It ranked fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list. The list stated that the episode "offers three completely different tales, boasting a potent combination of wit and humor" that, "the laughs never end" and that it "does a great job of incorporating Halloween-themed stories with the standard ''Simpsons'' charm".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.askmen.com/toys/top_10_60/64b_top_10_list.html|title=Top 10: Simpsons Episodes|accessdate=2007-03-03|author=Weir, Rich|publisher=Askmen.com}}</ref> ] called the episode "the funniest ''Treehouse of Horror'' to date".<ref name="IGN">{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/731/731095p2.html|title=The Simpsons: 17 Seasons, 17 Episodes|author=Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-03-25|date=]}}</ref> In 2006, they also named it the best episode of the sixth season.<ref name="IGN"/> Adam Finley of the weblog '']'' called it "possibly one of the best Halloween episodes ever".<ref name="TV Squad">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvsquad.com/2006/07/06/the-simpsons-treehouse-of-horror-v/|title=The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V|author=Adam Finley| date=2006-07-06|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=]}}</ref> Michael Passman said the episode "is largely regarded as the best, but a weak final third holds it back".<ref name="Michigan Daily">{{cite web|url=http://media.www.michigandaily.com/media/storage/paper851/news/2007/10/30/Television/Michael.Passman.A.simpsons.Halloween.Hall.Of.Fame-3064979.shtml|title=Michael Passman: A 'Simpsons' Halloween hall of fame|author=Michael Passman| date=2006-10-30|accessdate=2008-03-07|publisher=]}}</ref>


James Earl Jones' guest appearance in this episode, as well as in "]" and "]", was listed seventh on ''IGN'''s "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2010/01/04/top-25-simpsons-guest-appearances |title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances |author1=Goldman, Eric |author2=Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski |date=4 January 2010 |access-date=2022-01-16 |publisher=IGN.com |archive-date=2007-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622134744/http://tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p1.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Jones ranked 25th on ]'s list of their favorite 25 ''The Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web |author=Potts, Kimberly |title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars |url=http://www.aoltv.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars |access-date=2008-11-24 |publisher=] }}{{Dead link|date=October 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> ] said that Maggie's line "It is indeed a disturbing universe" (voiced by Jones) is among his favorite lines in the show.<ref>{{cite video |people=Groening, Matt |date=2005 |title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening" |medium=DVD |publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> David Mirkin said that Homer's line, "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish", is one of his favorites, and that the alternate future in which the family is rich "breaks heart every time".<ref name="Mirkin"/> Homer's line "close enough" from ''Time and Punishment'' was later used in the '']'' episode ]".<ref>{{cite video |date=2005 |title=Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius" |medium=DVD |publisher=MGM Entertainment}}</ref>
''The Shinning'' segment is particularity highly praised. As well as Entertainment Weekly's praise, IGN voted it first on their list of the best segments in the Treehouse of Horror series, with ''Time and Punishment'' coming fourth.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/742/742680p2.html | title=Top 10 Segments from The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror | date=2006-10-30| accessdate=2006-11-25| author=Goldman, Eric; Iverson, Dan; Zoromski, Brian| publisher=IGN}}</ref> It came ninth on the blog Noise to Signal's, list of "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.noisetosignal.org/tv/2007/10/the-ten-best-treehouse-of-horror-vignettes.php|title=The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes|author=Seb Patrick| date=2007-10-31|accessdate=2008-02-18|publisher=Noise to Signal}}</ref> Adam Finley of '']'' contemplating that it "could be the best Treehouse of Horror segment ever" as well as praising the opening of ''Time and Punishment''.<ref name="TV Squad"/> When putting together the perfect ''Treehouse of Horror'' episode, Michael Passman of '']'' included ''The Shinning'' as "a shoo-in".<ref name="Michigan Daily"/> '']'' named "No TV And No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy" the sixth best film parody in the show's history.<ref>Colin Kennedy. "The Ten Best Movie Gags In ''The Simpsons''", '']'', September 2004, pp. 77</ref>


]'s musical score for this episode received an ] nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore - Series" in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snpp.com/guides/awards.html |title=Awards & Honours|accessdate=2008-03-19|publisher=snpp}}</ref> The authors of the book ''I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide'', Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon".<ref name="BBC"/> ]'s musical score for this episode received an ] nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore— Series" in 1995.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.snpp.com/guides/awards.html |title=Awards & Honours |access-date=2008-03-19 |publisher=snpp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511171456/http://www.snpp.com/guides/awards.html |archive-date=2008-05-11 }}</ref>


===Legacy===
James Earl Jones's guest appearance in this episode, as well as in "]" and "]", was listed seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.tv.ign.com/articles/730/730566p4.html|title=Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances|author=Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski|accessdate=2007-03-03|publisher=IGN.com}}</ref> Jones ranked 25th on ]'s list of their favorite 25 ''Simpsons'' guest stars.<ref>{{cite web|author=Potts, Kimberly|title=Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars|url=http://television.aol.com/feature/the-simpsons/guest-stars|accessdate=2008-11-24|publisher=]}}</ref> Matt Groening said that this line is among his favorite lines in the show.<ref>{{cite video | people=Groening, Matt|year=2005|title=The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening"| medium=DVD||publisher=20th Century Fox}}</ref> David Mirkin said that Homer's line "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish" is one of favorites in the show, and that the alternate future in which the family are rich "breaks heart every time".<ref name="Mirkin"/> Homer's line "close enough" from "Time and Punishment" was later used in the '']'' episode "]".<ref>{{cite video | people=|year=2005|title=Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius"| medium=DVD||publisher=MGM Entertainment}}</ref>
"Time and Punishment" was later referenced in ]' ] comic book series, where Booster Gold uses it to explain the ].<ref name="bg8">{{cite comic |Title=Booster Gold |Volume=2 |Issue=8 |Date=2008 |Publisher=DC Comics}}</ref> ''Simpsons''-themed metal band ] based their song "Reneducation" on "Time and Punishment", in which Homer visits a dystopian future where "Flanders is the unquestioned lord and master of the world."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lnfOvc_jGg |title=Okilly Dokilly - Reneducation (Official Music Video) |date=2019-02-13 |last=Okilly Dokilly |access-date=2024-09-27 |via=YouTube}}</ref>


==See also==
''Time and Punishment'' was later referenced in ]'s ] comic series, where Booster Gold explains the ] by asking if anyone had seen the episode where Homer stepped on a butterfly and it began raining donuts, only to wish it were raining donuts where he was.<ref name="bg8">{{Comic book reference|Title = Booster Gold|Volume = 2|Issue = 8|Date = (2008)|Publisher = DC Comics}}</ref>
{{Portal|The Simpsons|1990s}}
* ]
* ]
* ]<ref>{{Citation |last=Danneil |first=Sandra |title=3 Analysis Treehouse of Horror: Lessons to Remember |date=2021 |work=Trick, Treat, Transgress |pages=105–260 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5771/9783741001451-105 |access-date=2024-08-01 |publisher=Schüren Verlag|doi=10.5771/9783741001451-105 |isbn=978-3-7410-0145-1 }}</ref>


==References== ==References==
{{reflist|2}} {{Reflist|2}}


==External links== ==External links==
{{wikiquote|The_Simpsons#Treehouse_of_Horror_V_.5B6.06.5D|"Treehouse of Horror V"}} {{wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_6#Treehouse_of_Horror_V|"Treehouse of Horror V"}}
* {{snpp capsule|2F03}}
{{Portal|The Simpsons|Simpsons tv icon.svg}}
* {{IMDb episode|0701281}}
* at The Simpsons.com
*{{snpp capsule|2F03}}
* at ]
* at the ]


{{Treehouse of Horror}} {{Treehouse of Horror}}
{{The Simpsons episodes|6}}
{{Media based on Stephen King works}}


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Latest revision as of 02:35, 21 December 2024

6th episode of the 6th season of The Simpsons
"Treehouse of Horror V"
The Simpsons episode
Episode no.Season 6
Episode 6
Directed byJim Reardon
Written byThe Shinning:
Bob Kushell
Time and Punishment:
Greg Daniels
Dan McGrath
Nightmare Cafeteria:
David X. Cohen
Production code2F03
Original air dateOctober 30, 1994 (1994-10-30)
Guest appearance
Episode features
Couch gagThe undead family members enter with disfigured bodies, and then swap heads and arms.
CommentaryMatt Groening
David Mirkin
David X. Cohen
Greg Daniels
Jim Reardon
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Sideshow Bob Roberts" 		Next →
"Bart's Girlfriend"
The Simpsons season 6
List of episodes

"Treehouse of Horror V" is the sixth episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons, and the fifth entry in the Treehouse of Horror series. It originally aired on Fox in the United States on October 30, 1994, and features three short stories: "The Shinning", "Time and Punishment", and "Nightmare Cafeteria".

The episode was written by Greg Daniels, Dan McGrath, David Cohen and Bob Kushell, and directed by Jim Reardon. In "The Shinning", a spoof of The Shining, the Simpsons are hired as caretakers at Mr. Burns' mountain lodge. Deprived of television and beer, Homer goes insane and attempts to murder the family. In "Time and Punishment", a parody of Ray Bradbury's "A Sound of Thunder", Homer repeatedly travels back in time and alters the future. In "Nightmare Cafeteria", Principal Skinner begins using students in detention as cafeteria food. The episode has a running gag where Groundskeeper Willie tries to help but gets stabbed in the back with an axe, killing him. This is the first Treehouse of Horror episode not to feature a wraparound segment.

In response to longstanding complaints about excessive graphic violence in the show, showrunner David Mirkin mandated that the episode contain as many disturbing and gory elements as possible. James Earl Jones features as the voice of an alternate-timeline Maggie. The episode was critically acclaimed, with "The Shinning" segment receiving the most praise.

Plot

Marge tells the audience that the episode is deemed so scary that Congress will not allow its broadcast. Homer and Bart interrupt the transmission to show the episode.

"The Shinning"

The Simpsons are employed as caretakers at Mr. Burns' mountain lodge while it is closed for the winter. Groundskeeper Willie discovers that Bart can read his mind, and tells him he has the "Shinning". Mr. Burns cuts off the lodge's cable TV and beer supplies to ensure hard work from the caretakers; this plan backfires, as the deprivation drives Homer insane (as Waylon Smithers said had happened with the previous caretakers). A phantom Moe Szyslak encourages Homer to "waste your family and I'll give you a beer". Marge finds Homer's manuscript, which reads "Feelin' fine"; lightning flashes, and she sees that Homer has scrawled "No TV and no beer make Homer go crazy" all over the walls. Homer attacks Marge and she fends him off; Homer faints in horror upon seeing his crazed reflection in a mirror. Marge locks Homer in the pantry. Homer is temporarily distracted by the plentiful food in the pantry, but Moe forcibly drags him out. Bart uses his "Shinning" to summon Willie, who drops his portable TV in the snow to come to the family's rescue. Homer kills Willie with an axe and continues his pursuit of the family. Lisa shows Homer Willie's TV, and Homer's insanity abates as the family watches TV. After they are frozen stiff, the Tony Awards ceremony begins airing on the TV, and Homer's murderous impulse comes back.

"Time and Punishment"

Homer accidentally turns his broken toaster into a time machine after trying to repair it. After traveling to prehistoric times, Homer remembers his father's advice about the butterfly effect but unthinkingly swats a mosquito. He returns to a present where Ned Flanders is the "unquestioned lord and master of the world"; after Homer gets the Simpsons sentenced to 're-Neducation' (a program which includes full-frontal lobotomies), he escapes and tries to fix his mistakes. Homer's failed attempts create a present where Bart and Lisa are giants, followed by one where the Simpsons are wealthy and Patty and Selma have died, but no one knows what donuts are (ironically, as Homer runs off screaming, donuts fall from the sky like rain), and one where Willie tries to help Homer, but is stabbed in the back with an axe by a talking Maggie, who intones "This is indeed a disturbing universe." On his final trip back, Homer destroys everything in sight with a baseball bat and causes a number of weird alternate universes before going home. He discovers from Marge that everything is back to normal plus "donuts are plentiful!" and sits down to dinner when he sees that Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie have reptilian tongues. Homer accepts this timeline as "close enough".

"Nightmare Cafeteria"

Principal Skinner and Lunchlady Doris try to find a common solution to the problems of poor cafeteria food and an overcrowded detention hall. After Jimbo Jones trips Lunchlady Doris and gets food slop on him, Skinner realizes the solution: cannibalizing any child that is sent to detention. Jimbo is killed and made into "Sloppy Jimbos". The teachers all become addicted to the mix of food slop and human meat, compelling Skinner to kill Üter and turn him into "Üterbraten". Bart and Lisa realize this after Skinner unwittingly reveals the truth and try to tell Marge, who refuses to help them because she wants them to stand up for themselves. With the other students either dead or imprisoned for fattening up before slaughter, Willie tries to help Bart, Lisa, and Milhouse escape, but Skinner stabs him in the back with an axe. Milhouse, Bart, and Lisa fall off a ledge into a giant food processor. Bart wakes up in his bedroom and realizes he was having a nightmare. Marge assures him he has nothing to fear except the "fog that turns people inside out", which seeps in through the window and promptly turns the Simpson family inside out. The family, joined by Willie, perform a parody of "One" from A Chorus Line as the credits roll and Santa's Little Helper drags Bart away.

Production

Disappointed by complaints from Congress, regarding the amount of violence in the show and their subsequent censorship attempts, showrunner David Mirkin attempted to put "as much blood and guts" into the episode as he could. He later called it "the most disturbing Halloween show ever". The opening sequence, in which Marge states the episode could not be shown and plays some live-action stock footage, was also in reference to this. Mirkin said he thinks Halloween shows can be "scary as well as fun".

This episode marked the end of the tradition of featuring humorous tombstones in the title sequence of Halloween episodes. The title sequence featured a tombstone reading "Amusing Tombstones". The staff also abandoned the tradition of wraparound segments that were featured before each story in the preceding Halloween episodes, to allow more time for the main stories.

The first segment, "The Shinning", is a parody of The Shining (1980). Filmmaker Stanley Kubrick had been a big influence on Mirkin, and was "one of the main reason wanted to be a director". Series creator Matt Groening admitted that he had not seen The Shining and most of the references to the film were entirely lost on him.

A closeup of a man in front of a microphone. He has a receding hairline and wears dark-framed glasses.
Nightmare Cafeteria marked David Cohen's debut as a Simpsons writer.

Groening originally pitched the idea that Homer would travel through time in "Time and Punishment". His original idea was that the time-travel would be the result of Homer simply jamming his hand in the toaster, but this was rejected by the other writers. The first time Homer travels back in time, he was originally supposed to state "I'm the first non-fictional character to travel backwards through time". The line was later changed from "non-fictional" to "non-Brazilian". Groening was confused as to the reason for the change, since he liked the original so much. In fact, he did not even understand what the new line implied. Josh Weinstein said the line is supposed to be a non-sequitur. In Brazil, the Portuguese dub changes the line to "I'm the first non-astronaut to travel backwards through time." In the sequence where the Simpsons' house transforms several times, one of the original designs included the house being made entirely of squirrels. Layout artist Lance Wilder worked on the drawings for more than two days, but were ultimately cut as the picture quality of standard-definition televisions of the time would have made the image unrecognizable. To ensure their work did not go to waste, some staff members have used the drawings on Christmas cards and other studio-related notices.

"Nightmare Cafeteria" was the first Simpsons story written by David X. Cohen. He wrote the final scene where a nightmarish fog turns the family inside out, inspired by an episode of the radio show Lights Out called "The Dark", which frightened Cohen as a child. A dance number was added immediately afterward in order to end the show on a lighter note. The "grade F meat" joke was written by Cohen, inspired by his cousin once seeing a box of hot dogs labeled "grade C, approved for human consumption".

Cultural references

Marge says the following program is so scary Congress won't let them show it, and they'll instead air the "1947 classic Glenn Ford movie 200 Miles to Oregon." Homer and Bart's voice-over is a reference to the opening of The Outer Limits.

"The Shinning" is a parody of Stephen King's novel The Shining and Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film adaptation. The basic plot is the same and there are many references to specific scenes from the film, such as the blood coming out of the elevator and Homer breaking through a door with an axe and yelling "Here's Johnny!". After Marge puts Homer in the pantry, Moe and the ghouls, "concerned the project isn't moving forward", get him out. Among the ghouls are The Mummy, The Wolf Man, Count Dracula, Jason Voorhees, Pinhead and Freddy Kruger. Burns mentions the lodge was "the setting of satanic rituals, witch burnings, and five John Denver Christmas specials."

The title "Time and Punishment" is a reference to Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novel Crime and Punishment and the plot, where Homer causes major changes in the future by making small changes in the past, is a parody of Ray Bradbury's short story "A Sound of Thunder". Peabody and Sherman of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show make an appearance during Homer's time traveling sequence and when, as a side effect of Homer's antics in the past, Kang and Kodos' heads are unexpectedly replaced with those of Peabody and Sherman. The dinosaur scenes are reminiscent of Jurassic Park, and the floor morphing into a television screen mirrors similar scenes in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Time Bandits.

The title "Nightmare Cafeteria" is a riff on the television series Nightmare Cafe, while the plot bears resemblance to Soylent Green. The closing song is a parody of "One" from the musical A Chorus Line, while the concept of the family being turned inside out by a mysterious fog comes from an episode of the radio show Lights Out, "The Dark". "One" can briefly be heard at the end of "The Shinning", when an announcer introduces the Tony Awards on Willie's portable TV.

Reception

In its original broadcast, "Treehouse of Horror V" finished 27th in ratings for the week of October 24–30, 1994, with a Nielsen rating of 12.2, equivalent to approximately 11.6 million viewing households. It was the second highest-rated show on the Fox network that week, following Beverly Hills, 90210.

Since airing, "Treehouse of Horror V" has received critical acclaim. The authors of I Can't Believe It's a Bigger and Better Updated Unofficial Simpsons Guide, Warren Martyn and Adrian Wood, called it "Another fine entry to the Treehouse canon". Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode as the ninth best of the entire series: "The Shinning" was described as "a parody brimming with such detail comic timing" that it "ranks with the greatest of pop culture spoofs" and Grandpa's wedding advice to Homer in "Time and Punishment" was praised as "one of the most beautifully random moments in Simpsons history". They concluded that "Maybe 'Nightmare Cafeteria' doesn't shine as brilliantly, but we still think it's perfectly, well, 'cromulent.'" It ranked fifth on AskMen.com's "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes" list. The list stated that the episode "offers three completely different tales, boasting a potent combination of wit and humor" that, "the laughs never end", and that it "does a great job of incorporating Halloween-themed stories with the standard Simpsons charm". IGN called the episode "the funniest Treehouse of Horror to date". In 2006, they also named it the best episode of the sixth season. Adam Finley of the blog TV Squad called it "possibly one of the best Halloween episodes ever". Michael Passman of Michigan Daily said the episode "is largely regarded as the best, but a weak final third holds it back". Entertainment.ie named it among the 10 greatest Simpsons episodes of all time. Screen Rant called it the best episode of the sixth season and the greatest Halloween episode of The Simpsons. Consequence of Sound called it "a true benchmark of the series," ranking it the second greatest Treehouse of Horror episode of all time. In 2019, Time ranked the episode third in its list of 10 best Simpsons episodes picked by Simpsons experts.

"The Shinning" is particularly highly praised. IGN voted it first on their list of the best segments in the Treehouse of Horror series, with "Time and Punishment" coming fourth. It came ninth on the blog Noise to Signal's list of "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes". Adam Finley of TV Squad opined that it "could be the best Treehouse of Horror segment ever" and praised the opening of "Time and Punishment." When putting together the perfect Treehouse of Horror episode, Passman of Michigan Daily included The Shinning as "a shoo-in". Empire named "No TV And No Beer Make Homer Go Crazy" the sixth-best film parody in the show's history. Vulture named "The Shinning" the best "Treehouse of Horror" segment ever, stating, "When you can’t think of the original without also thinking of the spoof. That’s The Shining and 'The Shinning,' easily the best Treehouse segment of all time."

James Earl Jones' guest appearance in this episode, as well as in "Treehouse of Horror" and "Das Bus", was listed seventh on IGN's "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances" list. Jones ranked 25th on AOL's list of their favorite 25 The Simpsons guest stars. Matt Groening said that Maggie's line "It is indeed a disturbing universe" (voiced by Jones) is among his favorite lines in the show. David Mirkin said that Homer's line, "Oh I wish, I wish I hadn't killed that fish", is one of his favorites, and that the alternate future in which the family is rich "breaks heart every time". Homer's line "close enough" from Time and Punishment was later used in the Stargate SG-1 episode "Moebius".

Alf Clausen's musical score for this episode received an Emmy Award nomination for "Outstanding Dramatic Underscore— Series" in 1995.

Legacy

"Time and Punishment" was later referenced in DC Comics' Booster Gold comic book series, where Booster Gold uses it to explain the butterfly effect. Simpsons-themed metal band Okilly Dokilly based their song "Reneducation" on "Time and Punishment", in which Homer visits a dystopian future where "Flanders is the unquestioned lord and master of the world."

See also

References

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  2. ^ Groening, Matt (1997). Richmond, Ray; Coffman, Antonia (eds.). The Simpsons: A Complete Guide to Our Favorite Family (1st ed.). New York: HarperPerennial. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-06-095252-5. LCCN 98141857. OCLC 37796735. OL 433519M..
  3. ^ Mirkin, David (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  4. ^ Cohen, David (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  5. Weinstein, Josh (2006). The Simpsons season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror VII" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  6. ^ Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  7. Reardon, Jim (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Treehouse of Horror V" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  8. Martin, Clare (October 18, 2022). "The 10 Best Treehouse of Horror Tales from The Simpsons". Paste. Archived from the original on May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  9. "12 Truly Scary 'Simpsons - Treehouse Of Horror' Segments". Entertainment Tonight. 2014-10-28. Archived from the original on 2020-11-01. Retrieved 2020-10-24.
  10. Williams, Scott (November 3, 1994). "ABC on top, but moves help others". Sun-Sentinel. p. 4E.
  11. "The best Simpsons episodes, Nos. 6-10". Entertainment Weekly. 2003-01-29. Archived from the original on 2014-10-16. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  12. Weir, Rich. "Top 10: Simpsons Episodes". Askmen.com. Archived from the original on 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  13. ^ Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (2010-01-08). "The Simpsons: 20 Seasons, 20 Episodes". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-04-28. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  14. ^ Finley, Adam (2006-07-06). "The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror V". TV Squad. Archived from the original on 2006-08-23. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  15. ^ Passman, Michael (2006-10-30). "Michael Passman: A 'Simpsons' Halloween hall of fame". Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on 2008-03-24. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  16. Molumby, Deidre (September 6, 2019). "The 10 greatest 'The Simpsons' episodes of all time". Entertainment.ie. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved September 7, 2019.
  17. Sim, Bernardo (2019-09-22). "The Simpsons: The Best Episode In Every Season, Ranked". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on 2019-09-24. Retrieved 2019-09-22.
  18. Ruskin, Zack (2019-10-23). "Ranking: Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode from Worst to Best". Consequence. Archived from the original on 2022-01-18. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  19. Bruner, Raisa (2019-12-10). "We Asked Experts for 10 of Their Most Memorable Simpsons Episodes of All Time". Time. Archived from the original on 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
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  21. Patrick, Seb (2007-10-31). "The Ten Best Treehouse of Horror Vignettes". Noise to Signal. Archived from the original on 2016-01-01. Retrieved 2016-09-13.
  22. Colin Kennedy. "The Ten Best Movie Gags In The Simpsons", Empire, September 2004, pp. 77
  23. Kurp, Joshua (2019-10-21). "Every Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Segment, Ranked". Vulture. Archived from the original on 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  24. Goldman, Eric; Dan Iverson, Brian Zoromski (4 January 2010). "Top 25 Simpsons Guest Appearances". IGN.com. Archived from the original on 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2022-01-16.
  25. Potts, Kimberly. "Favorite 'Simpsons' Guest Stars". AOL. Retrieved 2008-11-24.
  26. Groening, Matt (2005). The Simpsons The Complete Sixth Season DVD introduction "A Confession from Matt Groening" (DVD). 20th Century Fox.
  27. Stargate SG-1 Season 8 DVD commentary for the episode "Moebius" (DVD). MGM Entertainment. 2005.
  28. "Awards & Honours". snpp. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  29. Booster Gold, vol. 2, no. 8 (2008). DC Comics.
  30. Okilly Dokilly (2019-02-13). Okilly Dokilly - Reneducation (Official Music Video). Retrieved 2024-09-27 – via YouTube.
  31. Danneil, Sandra (2021), "3 Analysis Treehouse of Horror: Lessons to Remember", Trick, Treat, Transgress, Schüren Verlag, pp. 105–260, doi:10.5771/9783741001451-105, ISBN 978-3-7410-0145-1, retrieved 2024-08-01

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